Mass Effect: The Arcane Effect
by Scarlet Rhine
Summary: A crossover mixing D&D, nBSG, & Mass Effect. M rating for safety. What if humanity had an exploration polacy that unknowingly followed the Citidel's Relay activation law and access to magic. Read and find out
1. Disclaimer

Disclaimer:

I don't own Mass Effect, Battlestar Galactica, or D&D and I used the timeline in the Mass Effect wiki ( wiki/Timeline) for events in the ME universe. I only own the character I creat in this story.


	2. Timeline pt I

Mass Effect

Mass Effect:

The Arcane Effect

By Scarlet Rhine

Chapter 1: Timeline [i]

Unknown Time

The Leviathans dominate the galaxy, enthralling every new sapient race they encounter and protecting them in return for tribute. The Leviathans consider themselves the galaxy's first and only apex race.

After observing that their subservient races create synthetic races who consistently and violently rebel, the Leviathans create an Intelligence to seek a way to permanently preserve organic life. The Intelligence creates an army of pawns to gather genetic information throughout the galaxy.

The Intelligence betrays the Leviathans, using its pawns to slaughter them for their genetic material to create Harbinger, the first Reaper. Thus begins the cyclical harvest of the galaxy's intelligent organic life by the Reapers, part of a vast experiment conducted by the Intelligence to fulfill its mandate.

The Intelligence creates the mass relay network to increase the efficiency of the cycles, allowing galactic civilizations to develop faster and more consistently between harvests.

(-1,000,000,000)

The Leviathan of Dis, a Reaper, is killed by the Leviathans. Its corpse comes to rest on the planet Jartar and remains undisturbed for nearly one billion years.

(-37,000,000)

An unknown spacefaring race fires a mass accelerator round at a Reaper near the planet Mnemosyne. The round penetrates the Reaper, disabling it, and continues moving through space, eventually striking the planet Klendagon and creating the geological feature there known as the Great Rift Valley.

(-7,000,000)

A small primate [ii] on what will become known as Earth catches the attention of various divine beings

They being watching and guiding the evolution of the primates spieces.

(-6,000,000)

One of the primate's descendents [iii] begin walking upright.

The same descendent begins using simple tools

(-2,600,000)

The primate's descendents create the stone tool kit on earth.

Various divine beings begin to consider plans using the early humans.

(-1,780,000)

Early humans begin to spread out from what will be later known as Africa

(-500,000)

Early humans being hunting large animals with stone spears.

A few divine beings choose selected servants

They experience an increase in power

They encounter divine being patroning other beings.

(-298,000)

The ancient arthenn race flourish in the Zelene system, living on the planet Helyme until being destroyed in an unknown event that wiped out all complex life on the planet. They also maintained a presence on other planets in the system including Epho, which bears the scars of an ancient orbital bombardment, and Gaelon, which may have been mined for helium-3.

(-195,000)

Humans reach their current evolutionary form

The divine beings that chose to Patron Humans discover that current humans give them most energy from worship.

(-125,000)

Ancient space faring races called the thoi'han and inusannon fight over the planet Eingana, littering the planet with the debris of hundreds of starships. Refined element zero scattered by broken drive cores contaminates the environment, causing many native species to go extinct and those that survive to show a tendency to develop biotic powers

Dark Powers take notice of divine interest on Earth

The Devils of the Hells investigate

They find Humans interesting

The Demons of the Abyss investigate

They find humans challenging prey

(-68,000)

The Protheans achieve spaceflight and discover mass effect technology from the ruins of the extinct inusannon. They go on to establish a galaxy-wide civilization linked by the mass relay network with the Citadel as their capital

At some point, the Protheans encounter a hostile race of machine intelligences that endanger their existence. To combat this threat, the Protheans aggressively assimilate many other spacefaring organic races into their empire. The Prothean Empire is able to fend off the machines in a conflict known as the "Metacon War"

(-60,000) The Gods [iv] transplant humans on several worlds.

Some are placed on the world known as Krynn [v].

Some are placed on the World known as Oerth [vi].

Some are placed on the world known as Athas [vii].

Some are placed on the world known as Abeir-Toril [viii].

Some are placed on the world known as Kobal [ix].

(-**48,000)** : The Fall of the Protheans.

The Prothean Empire collapses with the arrival of the Reapers through the Citadel. Although the Protheans had learned of the Reapers' existence from studying the ruins of previous civilizations and had begun to prepare, they were nonetheless caught off-guard. Over the next several centuries, the Protheans fight the Reapers system by system, world by world, and city by city. In the end, it is not enough. The Reapers methodically wipe out the remaining Protheans, as well as other contemporary races, and depart the galaxy to await the next cycle.

(-20,000) The Kobalian Exodos

To Escape enviromental collapse cause by too many wars, the thirteen tribes of Kobal flee the planet in ARKs provided them by their Gods.

Tweleve travel to the Cyranus System and found the Tweleve Colonies of Kobal

The 13th Travel back to Earth

(-18,000)

The thirteenth Tribe Arrives on earth and founds Atlantis.

(-12,000)

Atlantis Sinks beneath the waves

Atlantean Technology is lost to Earth, though rumors to this day of caches being scattered around the Earth.

(-10,000)

Earth's age of magic starts to end as the planet's Arcane field begins to diminish

(-6,000)

Seeking to escape the imminent explosion of their sun, an alien race constructs an AI-managed starship equipped with supercomputers containing a virtual world, into which some one billion of the aliens transfer their consciousnesses. The starship begins a journey throughout the galaxy which lasts for the next 8,000 years.

(-1900)

Tuchanka, the krogan homeworld, enters the nuclear age. In a global conflict, weapons of mass destruction are released, triggering a nuclear winter. In the resulting devastation, krogan society devolves into a collection of warring clans.

The Gods start paying more attension to their worshipers on the worlds they seeded humans on.

(-1800)

A supernova propels the Mu Relay, the only point of access to the remote Pangaea Expanse, out of position. Concealed somewhere in the dense nebula formed by the supernova, the relay's position is effectively lost for centuries. Later, the rachni rediscover the relay.

(-580)

After developing faster-than-light spacefaring capabilities based upon Prothean technology, the asari begin to explore the mass relay network, and eventually discover the huge Citadel space station at a hub of many mass relays.

(-520).

The salarians discover the Citadel and open diplomatic relations with the asari.

(-500): The Founding of the Counsil.

The Citadel Council is formed. The asari and salarians together colonize the Citadel and establish it as a center of the galactic community, led by the Council. This year is also known as 0 GS, the beginning of the Galactic Standard (GS) timeline.

As a gesture of openness with their new asari allies, the Salarian Union opens the records of the League of One. Under threat, the League responds by assassinating every member of the Union's inner cabinet; Special Tasks Group operatives then hunt down and eliminate the League.

First contact is made with the volus. Eventually, the Citadel Council commissions the volus to draw up the Unified Banking Act, which establishes a standard galactic currency known as the credit and links all galactic economies

The turian Unification War occurs. The increasingly isolated and xenophobic colonies on the frontiers of turian space go to war with each other. After years of fighting, the Turian Hierarchy sweeps in and pacifies the remaining factions. Animosity between turian colonies continues for decades.

(-200) -0

The Council grants the volus the honor of being the first non-Council species with an embassy at the Citadel, rather than a Council seat.

First contact is made with the batarians. They are granted an embassy a century later

The asari discover the elcor home system and help the elcor locate and activate their nearest mass relay. "Within one elcor lifetime" they establish a regular trade route to the Citadel and are granted an embassy.

First contact is made with the hanar and the quarians. Both races are later granted embassies

0

Birth of the demigod Jesus Crist

1: The Rachni Wars

The rachni, a species of highly intelligent hive-minded insects, are discovered when a Citadel expedition opens a dormant mass relay leading to their star systems. The rachni prove to be hostile and begin a war with the rest of the galaxy. Negotiation with the rachni queens is impossible because they cannot be contacted in their underground nests on the toxic rachni worlds.

30

On Earth, Jesus begins his journeys and teaching.

35

Jesus is crusified

Jesus rises from the dead three days later.

36

Jesus assends and rejoins his father. His 12 aposiles begin a church based on his teachings [x].

80

The Rachni Wars continue. The salarians make first contact with and uplift the primitive krogan, manipulating them into acting as soldiers for the Citadel Council. The krogan prove able to survive the harsh environments of the rachni worlds and pursue the rachni into their nests, systematically eradicating queens and eggs.

300

The rachni are declared extinct. In gratitude for their aid during the Rachni Wars, the Council rewards the krogan a new homeworld. Free of the harsh environment of Tuchanka, the krogan population explodes.

[I] This a was created by taking the Mass Effect timeline and adding events from historical timelines and my imagination.

[ii] Man's first ancestor sahelanthropus tchadensis

[iii] Orrorin tugenensis

[iv]This is when the divine being start refering themselves as such.

[v] Only mentioned here and maybe later in the story.

[vi] Only mentioned here and maybe later in the story.

[Vii] Only mentioned here and maybe later in the story.

[viii] Uncertain if I'll include a visit here or not

[ix] Uncertain if I'll include a visit here or not

[x] I'm sorry if this seems to promote Christanity. But the events around Jesus have had too much of an effect on the world to just not mention them in passing at least.

The Arcane Effect


	3. Timeline pt II

Mass Effect

300

The rachni are declared extinct. In gratitude for their aid during the Rachni Wars, the Council rewards the krogan a new homeworld. Free of the harsh environment of Tuchanka, the krogan population explodes.

300 – 700

The krogan begin to expand exponentially, colonizing many new worlds. Growing concerns about their expansion lead to the founding of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel.

On Earth Mages and empowered Priest become increasingly rare.

700: The Krogan Rebelions

Krogan warlords leverage veterans of the Rachni Wars to annex territory from other races in Citadel space. Eventually the Council demands withdrawal from the asari colony of Lusia, but the krogan refuse. A preemptive strike is made on krogan infrastructures by the Spectres. The Krogan Rebellions begin.

The Citadel Council makes first contact with the turians around this time and persuades them to aid in the war. After the krogan respond to the initial turian offensive by devastating turian colonies with weapons of mass destruction, the turians vow to stop the krogan from ever becoming a threat again.

Sometime after the turians join the galactic community, the volus are accepted as a client race of the Turian Hierarchy.

710

Realizing that the krogan will never give in as long as they can replenish their fighters, the turians unleash a salarian-engineered bio-weapon known as the genophage on the krogan. The krogan population starts its decline.

800

The Krogan Rebellions end, though scattered krogan insurgent actions continue for decades. The turians fill the military and peacekeeping niche left by the decimated krogan.

The Citadel Conventions are drawn up in the wake of the conflict.

900

The turians are granted a seat on the Citadel Council in recognition for their service in the Krogan Rebellions.

1400

Extensive and unchecked industrial expansion on the drell homeworld Rakhana begins taking a significant toll on the planet's environment.

1600

The first sightings of the Collectors are reported in the Terminus Systems. In Citadel space, the claims are dismissed as unsubstantiated rumors and tall tales.

1755

Samara's three daughters are diagnosed as Ardat-Yakshi. Rila and Falere accept exile, but Morinth flees. Samara takes the oaths of the asari justicars and pursues her errant daughter for the next 430 years.

1880

Aria T'Loak arrives on Omega, a space station in the Terminus Systems regarded as the region's nominal capital. Aria is hired by the station's warlord as an enforcer and quickly becomes one of his most trusted lieutenants.

1895: The Geth/Morning War

The geth, machines created by the quarians as a source of cheap labor, become self-aware. Fearing a geth uprising, the quarians begin dismantling them. The geth revolt against their quarian masters. In the resulting conflict-known to the geth as the Morning War-the geth systematically drive the quarians from their own worlds. The surviving quarians are reduced to living as spacefaring nomads aboard the Migrant Fleet. Contrary to expectations, the geth do not venture outside the former quarian systems into wider Citadel space, instead isolating themselves from the rest of the galaxy behind the Perseus Veil. As punishment for creating the geth, the Citadel Council closes the quarian embassy on the Citadel.

1921

The geth begin construction of a mega-structure designed to house and simultaneously run every geth program in existence. Completion of the mega-structure, which would allow the geth to maximize their collective processing capacity, is the long-term goal of geth civilization.

1961

April 12: Yuri Gagarin aboard the Vostok 1 becomes the first human to travel in space. Humanity becomes a spacefaring race.

1969

July 20: Apollo 11 lands on Luna. Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to walk on Luna, and the first human to walk on an astronomical object other than Earth.

1980

Aria T'Loak assumes control of Omega after defeating the space station's previous warlord in single combat. She mockingly bestows the title "Patriarch" on the broken krogan, and uses him as a reminder to her enemies of her power.

2000

The drell make first contact with the hanar around this time. With their homeworld Rakhana severely depleted and no spaceflight capability, the drell were poised for a massive population crash by 2025 CE. Agreeing to help, the hanar mount a large-scale rescue operation and evacuate approximately 375,000 drell to their own homeworld, Kahje, over the following decade. The remaining 11 billion drell on Rakhana gradually perish, warring over the last reserves of food and water.

2069

July 20: Armstrong Outpost at Shackleton Crater is formally founded as the first human settlement on Luna, on the 100th anniversary of the first lunar landing.

2070

Billionaire Victor Manswell, frustrated with the pace of official human space exploration, begins funding his own private spaceflight expedition.

2075

The Manswell Expedition successfully launches from Earth en route to the Alpha Centauri system with 300 colonists aboard in cryogenic stasis. Communications with the vessel are lost soon after.

July 4: A terrorist attack goes wrong and damages the Great Pyramid in Egypt triggering a release of unknown energy.

Several ancient structures are restore to pristine condition including the damaged Great Pyramid though it's capstone mysteriously disappers without a trace.

2077

Liara T'Soni is born.

2103

The European Space Agency's Lowell City in Eos Chasma becomes the first permanent human settlement on Mars.

2125

Empowered priests, Arcane spellcasters and Races thought mythical make a reappearance.

Febuary 24: Dwarven and Human miners mining diamond accidently merge their mines as both were digging the same vain.

The yahg, an intelligent pre-spaceflight race, are discovered on the planet Parnack. Ambassadors representing the Citadel Council arrive on the planet and attempt to open diplomatic contact. After the ambassadors are killed by the predatory yahg, the Council ceases all contact with the yahg and declares Parnack off-limits.

Not long after the yahg are discovered, one yahg is captured for the Shadow Broker to study. With the Broker's assistance, the yahg rapidly ascends within the Broker's organization as "Operative Kechlu". Eventually, the Broker becomes wary of "Operative Kechlu" and attempts to have him terminated, but the order is sent too late. The yahg assumes the mantle of the Shadow Broker and directs the organization for the next sixty years.

2134

Steven Hackett is born.

2137

David Anderson is born.

The Eldfell-Ashland Energy Corporation demonstrates helium-3 fuel extraction from the atmosphere of Saturn.

2139

Saren Arterius is born.

Kahlee Sanders is born.

2143

Construction of Gagarin Station (Jump Zero) begins beyond the orbit of Pluto.

A meteorite no bigger than a baseball slams into the Earth between the forepaws of the Sphinx exposing a cache of Atlantean Tech.

The Egypt's Muslem Government falls to a civil war that is sparked by the sudden appearance of the Molholrandi in a "Night of Blue Fire."

The Molholrandii take control of Egypt and after learning that their ancestors had been taken from Earth Retake the name of Egyptian.

The restoration of the Pharaoh to rulership of Egypt.

The Pharaoh assumes control of the Atlantean Cache and allow Scientist from all over the world access.

2146

Thane Krios is born.

2147

Trace amounts of element zero are discovered on Mars.

2148: **Humanity Discovers Mass Effect Physics**

Humanity discovers a small cache of highly advanced Prothean technology hidden deep beneath the surface of Mars on the south polar region of Promethei Planum. Building on the remnants of this long extinct race, humans quickly explore the science of mass effect fields, leading to the development of faster than light travel and beginning detailed exploration of the Sol system.

Humanity cracks the Atlantean Language and starts reverse engineering the Atlantean Technology as discovers the Jump Drive.

Human scientists start working on ways to merge ME & Atlantean Tech.

2149

Following information from the translated data cache on Mars, humans discover that Charon, Pluto's moon, is actually a massive piece of dormant Prothean technology, a mass relay, encased in ice. Once activated, Jon Grissom leads the first team of explorers through the relay, which instantaneously transports them to another relay in Arcturus, 36 light-years away. The explorers discover that the mass relays are part of a vast network, making travel across the galaxy possible.

The Systems Alliance charter is signed by the eighteen largest nations on Earth. The Alliance soon becomes the military and exploratory spearhead of humanity.

2150

Miranda Lawson is born.

The Systems Alliance begins the first surveys for colonization prospects outside the Sol System. One of these surveys discovers the planet Terra Nova.

The Mystara Arcane Academy is founded on what will become Demeter. It quickly become the Arcane equivalent of science's Ivy League Colleges.

2151

To defend its expanding territory, humanity begins constructing a massive military fleet and space station at Arcturus, the nexus of several key mass relays, even though they have yet to encounter another intelligent spacefaring race.

An accident at Singapore International Spaceport exposes hundreds of humans to dust-form element zero. Roughly 30% of the children born in Singapore after element zero exposure suffer from cancerous growths. After his mother is exposed during the accident, Kaidan Alenko is born later that year with biotic potential.

Empowered Priests heal the unfortunate children of their cancer allowing them to live normal lives.

2152

The Delta Pavonis Foundation, a major consortium based on Earth, begins settlement of humanity's first extra-solar colony world, the planet Demeter. Later that year, additional colonies are founded on Eden Prime and Terra Nova.

Thane Krios is submitted for training as an assassin under the hanar.

2154

April 11: Ayla Shepard is born.

There is a second publicized accident involving the exposure of humans to element zero.

2155

Saren Arterius is promoted to active service in the turian military at the age of 16.

The Systems Alliance occupies completed portions of Arcturus Station, intended to become the Alliance's headquarters.

Jeff "Joker" Moreau is born

2156

Arcturus Station is formally inaugurated.

A small number of human children exposed to element zero exhibit minor telekinetic abilities.

2157

Pluto's orbit becomes circularized as a result of mass relay operations.

Jacob Taylor is born.

David Anderson graduates from Officer Candidate School with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

The First Class of Wizards [i], Sorcerers, & Dynamic Sorcerers [ii].

iAka Mages.

iiSorcerer who don't use acknowledged standard spells.

The Arcane Effect


	4. Surprises at Relay 314

Mass Effect

A small ship cautiously approached the Mass Relay, trying to get as close to it without triggering it. It came to a stop and two beams of light began to play over it. Inside Captain Lou Andersdottir moved her hands away from the controls, before sliding her chair back and getting out. She looked about the bridge and said, "Okay everybody, all personnel that are not part of the hacking/scrying team or engineering has four hours of free time, so smoke 'em if you got 'em." She then proceeded to walk out of the bridge. She went down to deck two, which contained the Rec area/mess-hall and crew quarters. She and her Co-pilot had quarters one deck one near the bridge. She mused about deck three being the deck where engineering was.

She got her lunch and returned to the bridge. When she sat back down in her seat on the bridge, She pondered what she was doing here hacking an ancient navicomp [i] while trying to stay far enough away not to trigger it. After the Shanxi-Theta system was settled there was an outcry that humanity was moving too fast and that we could stumble upon a was-like race of aliens that would take offense and attack. With the intent of (a) Conquering humanity or exterminating us. They were divided into three camps. The Isolationists, who wanted to destroy the Relays. Of course the amount of energy that would be released was estimated to be equal to a nova, which would destroy the system it was in. Then there was the Fortress Coalition, who wanted to build fortifications around the Mass Relays so that any invading force would get a nasty surprise. Finally, there was the Frontiersmen, People who wanted to use the Relays to explore. Andersdottir smiled as she ate. If things went differently, She'd either be setting demolition charges, or sitting where she was board out of her skull waiting for hostile that might not even exist. It was the brainchild of a descendant of Eintstien that proposed the current procedure. The first step was to hack a Relay's Navicomp to find the location of the next Relay. The second step was then to use the jump-drive to jump to the system. The Scout-ship would then do a preliminary exploration of the system before heading back to the Relay and activate it for the return trip.

Which was why she was here close but not too close to a Mass Relay. She just finished her lunch when the Navicomp signaled that it had just got the the jump plot done. She tossed the carton into the trash slot, then moved moved her seat back to the controls. Commander Ran Yaminaka came in with the rest if the bridge crew. Once they had taken their seats, they began powering up their Jump-drive. Ran looked at her and said, "What do you think we'll find this time?" Lou smiled at him as she replied, "If our luck hold true, another garden world." Thomson at the engineering station chuckled before announcing, "Jump in 5,... 4,... 3,... 2,... 1,..."

Explorer 7 one of twelve exploration ship made by fusing reverse-engineered Prothean Tech, reverse-engineered Atlantian Tech, and regular tech, vanished from the Shanxi-Theta system.

General Desolas stepped on in to the CIC of his ship with a cup of goren. His small patrol group had just entered the system with a dormant Mass Relay and had began a slow flight through the system. "Sensors. Scan the system. I don't want any surprises biting us in the ass because we were complacent." He ordered. "Patrol fan out, standard intrasystem routes." The eight destroyers, and four frigates that made up the patrol group spread out and began to move through the system. Desolas took a gulp of Goren and stood on his command platform watch the holomap of the system. He was surprised when a yellow dot appeared on it moments before a sensor operator reported, "Unknown ship detected." The Turian general frowned before saying, "Scan Relay 314."

"Scann_i_ng."

"Has the Relay been activated?"

"Negative. However they got here they didn't use the Relay"

Desoles frowned then decided to watch the unknown. He assigned one of his patrol to keep an eye on newcomer as he ordered the communications Officer, "Send a message to High Command with the following message, 'Have detected ship of unknown configuration and design. Relay remains inactive and ship has begun to move in system. Requesting orders.' and send our scans of the ship with it."

Desolis watched as the unknown moved through the system. As it move he noted it was heading to innermost planet of the system. "Tell the _Gladius_ to do an FTL flyby of that ship doing scans of it as they pass." He toldthe comm officer. "I need some intel on it." The Comm Officer nodded an relayed th_e _order_. _One of frigates jumped to FTL speeds and flew by the unknown ship. After it had rejoined the patrol General Desolis began reviewing the data. He had the data Dled to a PADD and went to his quarters to study the data and make sense of the day. He had just got to the door leading to the stair to the crew deck when Colonel Victus, his first officer calmly called out, "Sir Priority One Message from Palaven Command. Routed it to your Quaters." Desolis nodded and rerouted his course to his quarters. Once there, he turned on a secure reciever and got his retna scanned. When he could see whoever was sending the message, He got the surprise of his life.

"Primarch!" He said as he snapped to attansion. "At ease." The primarch said. "Now what do you know of the unknown so far." Desolis nodded and took a calming breath before saying, "We came out of the relay as planned for a simple patrol but when we arrived we detected a small frigate was already in the system. I ordered Relay 314 scanned to see if it was activated and found it still dormant." Primarch Fedorian nodded then said, "What else." He commented. Desolis then said, "The unknown then began to move towards the first planet. I had one of my frigates do an FTL flyby to get a detailed scan of it. I was just about to go over the data when you called. Sir." The Primarch nodded before saying, "What is your opinion General?" Desolis released the breath he wasn't aware he was holding and said, "From what we have so far, they intend to explore this system then activate the Relay for their return trip. Ironically, they are unknowingly following Citidel law as they would know what was on the otherside of Relay 314." Fedorian's mandibles flared out in a smile as he said, "My thoughts exactly. Your orders as of this momment are to monotor them, keeping track of which worlds they send probes to and how many of each. Then you are to send me a COMPLETE report to me which I'll forward to the cousil."

As the Primarch's holo faded Desollas rised the PADD and began to review all the Data they had on the unknown. He hoped that the Turian race would be chosen by the counsul to lead the first contact team a Peaceful first contact would be a change of pace to the hard one the Turian Hirearchy usually has.

Lou Skillfully guided Explorer Seven through the system. They had gotten a scar a few days ago when the sensors briefly registered a ship moving extremely fast and lost it a moment later. Ever scince then her rogue senses had been screaming that they were being watched. Having grown up om the mean streets of Los Angeles, she had become an accomplished city-bound rogue. Not listening to her trapsense was something she did without it somehow biting her in some way or another. She looked towards the Science/magic station and at the tall, slender dark elf wearing mirror shades to counter his race's disability and said, "Nabikii [ii] ? Could you scry the system?" The Drow Wizardess looked up from the scanner and replied, "It'll take the rest of my shift but yes. What am I looking for?"

"Other ships."

Nabikii nodded and called her relief before walking a cabinat that had a specially prepared sheet of ice. Once it was exposed she uttered the Scry spell and began to gaze into it's frozen depths. Though to everybody else the Eberronian Drow was staring at a slab of ice, Nabikii was looking at the outside as if she was flying through the vaccume of space. She found the Frigate that had been tasked to follow them almost imediately. It took thirty minutes more to find the rest of the ship as they were loosely clustered near an active Mass Relay. She ended the spell and said, "We grew a tail and there are nine other ships in the system."

"Damn!" was all Captain Anderdottir could think to say.

iNavigation Computer

iiOne of The Author's Characters on DDO


	5. Contact!

Mass Effectively

Mass Effect

Lou called a crew meeting to discuss the fact that they had somehow gotten somebodies attension. Ten minutes later the other twelve members of EX7 entered the bridge. A small cylinder rose out of the floor and a mist beganto fall down from above it, momments before the holographic inamge of the unknown ship appeared., "Okay everybody," She says, "It seems we somehow got the attension of some locals. How local they are is up in the air but they're close enough to scrye plus it seems they's drifted into sensor range at least three times or we would have this image. Obervations and or suggestions?" They stared at the image when Gizmodin, their dwarven chief engineer says, "That there's a warship and a small one at that."

Lou nodded as she mentally filed the information in her mind as EX7's computer launched a probe at the third planet causing the deck to vibrate, she then looked towards Nabikii who replied, "My scrying has revieled that if it was Hostile we would've been destroyed with one shot from their spinal cannon before we could raise shields. Thay they're just following us suggests they're curious" Lou nodded again as she heard out what the others said their peace before continuing, "Okay it seems we have three options, the first is to continue as we have and head back to the Relay and head home and hope they don't blast us to the Hells. Second, we about mission and make an endrun for the Relay and hope they don't have friends waiting there to stop us by any means. Third we contact them and hope they're friendly." She sat back and let the crew talk amongst themselves as she stududies the image of their shadow. Nabikii looked at the others and said, "Kyber! This was not what I expected when I joined the Allience." Gizmodin chuckled as he replied, "Nothing like delving into forgotten ruins eh? I might might be an articifer[i] like my old man Hardware, but I'm not trusting my luck not to be like his I mean he had to have his ass save twice by the same adventurer. Besides I vote to contact them." They talked for about until Captain Andersdottir heard the vote come out to contact them She smiled as she nodded and walked back to the flight station and sat in her seat. Once it slid back into place, she hit a buttom marked First Contact Package.

Desolas was going over the days reports. Most of them were routine for the patrol and for the most part boring. A few were on the Stranger as they began to call the Unknown and it's movements within the system. The latest report had it orbiting the forth planet which was a garden world and it had dropped seven drones onto the planet. Just then his personal console began beeping. With a sigh he tapped the haptic button and said, "Any news about the stranger? I hope." The captain of the _Saber of the Spir_ts was on the other end and reported, "Sir! Somehow the Stranger had detected us. They just sent us s first contact package. I'm forwarding it to you."

Desolas nodded ans said, "Return to the fleet. I'm preparing a report to the Primarch and sending it to him. Advise the Stranger to remain in system as we're sending for diplomatic experts to handle negogiations. He then got up and went to CIC. As he got there and found his brother Saren watching the Stranger moving towards the dormant Mass Relay. Saren looked at his brother and said, "Are you sure about this Bro? I mean what if they lied about their coming from the other side of Relay 314."

"which is why I'm sending you in a Madciol Dropship to follow them through five minutes after they leave by activating it."

"That's good I though yo...WHAT?!" Saren said as his brain processed what his brother said.

"I want you to follow them through the Relay and scan the system on the other side to confirm their claim of coming from the system on the other side. If they were then return as soon as they scan's complete." Seren Nodded and left CIC to board the aging dropship to carry out his mission.

Desola_s_ then looked the central hologram. He watched as the Stranger activated the relay. He then flared his mandibles in surprise as a smaller ship detached itself from the rear of it and flew through the Relay. Five minutes later the Madcoil followed it through.

"General! The Stranger's contacting us."

"Put them through voice only"

"Roger! Patching them through now."

"This is Captain Louise Andersdottir, Piloting the Explorer Number seven. Why'd you send a ship to follow ours Through the Relay?"

Desolas Smiled when he heard the message. The voice sounded Asari-like and he learned the name of the ship. He cleared his throat before replying "Just being Catious. It's a rough Galaxy after all." Exploer 7's captain mulled it about before replying. "I hope you sent someone level headed. That ship was to relay the facts of our meeting and then bring back our diplomats.

Desolas nodded as it made sense. He looked at the Relay that somehow seemed to be bound to the fates of two races.

Desolas wondered what would his fate been if things went another route.

iAn arcane magic user that creates devices to use magic most of the time.

Arcane Effect


End file.
